A series of explosions at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in 1986 set off a catastrophic chain of events that are still being felt today.

The power plant disaster remains one of the worst nuclear accidents on record, with the destruction of the facility’s reactor 4 on April 26 exposing large parts of the Ukraine and Belarus to harmful radiation.

“For this study we deployed cameras in a systematic way across the entire Belarus section of the CEZ and captured photographic evidence – strong evidence – because these are pictures that everyone can see,” said lead researcher James Beasley in a UGA statement.

“We didn’t find any evidence to support the idea that populations are suppressed in highly contaminated areas.

“What we did find was these animals were more likely to be found in areas of preferred habitat that have the things they need – food and water.”

While the study suggests that the wildlife population in the area appears to be in prime health, it did not examine the actual animals.

Evidence compiled by Dr. Timothy Mousseau, a biologist from the University of South Carolina, had previously highlighted mutations among the bird population, including tumors, unusual pigmentation, and brain abnormalities.